


After the War

by Thenewmrsweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 22:48:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10931625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thenewmrsweasley/pseuds/Thenewmrsweasley
Summary: Based off of a post on Tumblr I reblogged.http://thenewmrsweasley.tumblr.com/post/158984857277/it-started-over-drarry-draco-scrubs-the-skin





	After the War

The pub was almost empty, typical for a Wednesday night, but as the blonde approached the bar he realized that someone was there that he already knew. “Didn’t think I’d see you here again.” He said sitting next to her.

“I didn’t think you’d ever seen me here before.”

“Every time I’ve been here you’re already completely pissed, Weasley had to carry you out the one night.” 

Hermione turned towards him finally, her eyes searching to see if there was any kind of twisted glee he got from this. “Which one, some of them aren’t talking to me anymore.”

“The one who owns the shop, I only knew it was him because of the shaved hair.”

“Kind of like yours.” After the war Draco Malfoy had cut his signature blonde locks off leaving him with stubble across his scalp, much like George had done after his twin had died, and in similar fashion how Hermione herself had chopped off the curly mane she had into a sleek pixie cut. “I guess we’ve all changed haven’t we?”

“Some of us more than others.”

Hermione sighed sloshing the amber liquid around in her glass. “I don’t blame you Draco, none of us do.” The fireplace roared and Draco’s eyes snapped shut. “Like I said, you’re dealing with it just like the rest of us.”

Nodding his agreement though something caught Draco’s eye, and worry bubbled in his chest. “Granger, why is there a bandage over your arm?”

She looked down like she was seeing it for the first time and ripped the bandage off. The ink underneath was fresh, still shiny from the work. “I had to get it covered up.”

“Let’s get you home.” Draco quietly paid their tabs and hooked an arm under her small frame. Disapparating to her front door Draco watched as Hermione put her wand into a sensor and the door unlocked. “Well that’s new.”

“Kingsley installed it, said it’s something they’ve been working on with the muggles. Only specfic wands can be read.”

“Specific.”

Depositing herself into a chair Hermione looked up. “What did I say?”

“I’m going to make you some tea.” But by the time the water had been put into the kettle Hermione was already snoring into the armrest. 

It was a few days before he saw her again, this time she joined him at the table he had gotten in the corner and she looked ashamed. “I don’t want you to think that you’re the only one who feels like an outsider.”

“I’ve always been an outsider.” He quipped back.

“Then you’ve been in good company.” Hermione’s eyes were kind, kinder than they should have been anyway. “We’re all still trying to figure this out. It’s not easy and it’s not something any of us can do on our own.”

None of what she was saying made sense. “Who is this ‘we’ you keep referring to? Because the only people I see struggling are you and me.”

“Neville had to give up being herbology professor at Hogwarts, a snake made its way into greenhouse 3 and he ended up burning it down.” One of the nicest people Hermione had ever met, given such hardships growing up and still he wasn’t remembered. “Harry can’t be in small rooms, the elevators in the ministry are definitely a no and his office had to be moved into an open cubicle. Of course, that’s when we can find him. Sometimes Harry just wanders off without so much as a word. Says he needs time to find himself and figure out who he is outside of the Boy-Who-Lived.”

“He doesn’t tell you where he’s going? Not once?”

Shrugging she leaned back in the booth. “Sometimes we go with him, travel to different countries where no one knows who we are. Sometimes though, I travel back to where we were hiding. Try to realize that it’s different now and I’m not in danger anymore.”

“We’ve talked about that, Potter and I.” That seemed to catch Hermione off guard. “I see him here sometimes too. He told me the same things you did about how no one blames me and all that. We both dealt with...with Voldemort. Some of us in a more personal setting than others.”

Draco’s fingers moved across the front of a notebook then, almost as if he remembered every word that he'd written for himself.

“I went and got myself a muggle tattoo just to cover up the carving in my arm.” She pulled the sleeve up again showing the colorful artwork on her pale skin. “It's all part of the healing process. We're not completely there yet, but we're all working on it. In our own way.”

His fingertips were cool against her skin tracing the lines of the blooming flower.

“Don't mean to intrude on this touching moment.” Hermione looked up and found her best friends smiling down at the table.

Ron shrugged. “Harry doesn't mean to, I do.”

“Anyway, we still haven't been to Antarctica so Ron and I thought we should make the trip.” Leave it to Harry to find the least populated place on the planet to visit.

“Are you both coming or what? We've got penguins to see!”


End file.
